Equine health encompasses the study and management of diseases, disorders, and overall well-being of horses. It involves understanding various physiological systems, preventive care, and treatment strategies to maintain optimal health in equine populations. Common areas of focus include nutrition, infectious diseases, orthopedic conditions, and reproductive health. Research in equine health aims to advance knowledge on diagnostic methods, therapeutic interventions, and management practices that improve horse welfare and performance. This page collects peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the diverse aspects of equine health, offering insights into current findings and advancements in the field.
Dash RF, Minshall GJ, Wright IM.Slab fractures of the third carpal bone (C3) are a common cause of lameness in Thoroughbred racehorses. Information on fracture morphology is commonly obtained from radiographs or CT. This retrospective, methods comparison aimed to explore the agreement between radiography and CT for imaging C3 slab fractures and discuss the contribution of the latter to clinical case management. Thoroughbred racehorses with a slab or incomplete slab fracture of C3 identified on radiographs that subsequently underwent CT examination were included. Fracture characteristics (location, plane, classification, disp...
Benvin I, Perko VM, Maljković MM, Habuš J, Štritof Z, Hađina S, Perharić M, Zečević I, Cvetnić M, Turk N.Leptospirosis is re-emerging zoonotic bacterial disease of global importance that affects domestic and wild animals and humans. Due to the public health importance, control of disease in Croatia is being implemented by monitoring the seroprevalence of equine leptospirosis and it is regulated by the law. In the period from 2012 to 2022, a total of 61,724 serum samples from apparently healthy horses were admitted to the Laboratory for leptospires, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine University of Zagreb. Serum samples were tested for Leptospira spp. antibodies using the microscopic agglutination test...
Ferreira LVO, Kamura BDC, Oliveira JPM, Chimenes ND, Carvalho M, Santos LAD, Dias-Melicio LA, Amorim RL, Amorim RM.Schwann cells (SCs) are essential for the regenerative processes of peripheral nerve injuries. However, their use in cell therapy is limited. In this context, several studies have demonstrated the ability of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to transdifferentiate into Schwann-like cells (SLCs) using chemical protocols or co-culture with SCs. Here, we describe for the first time the in vitro transdifferentiation potential of MSCs derived from equine adipose tissue (AT) and equine bone marrow (BM) into SLCs using a practical method. In this study, the facial nerve of a horse was collected, cut into ...
Bampidis V, Azimonti G, Bastos ML, Christensen H, Durjava M, Kouba M, López-Alonso M, López Puente S, Marcon F, Mayo B, Pechová A, Petkova M....Following a request from the European Commission, EFSA was asked to deliver a scientific opinion on the safety and efficacy of 4-methyl-5-vinylthiazole [15.018] belonging to chemical group 29 (thiazoles, thiophene and thiazoline), when used as sensory additive (flavourings) in feed for all animal species. The FEEDAP Panel concluded that 4-methyl-5-vinylthiazole [15.018] was safe at the maximum proposed use level of 0.5 mg/kg complete feed for veal calves (milk replacer), dogs, salmonids and ornamental fish. For the other species, the calculated safe concentrations in complete feed are: 0.4...
Higgins C, Huber L.Rhodococcus equi, a gram-positive facultative intracellular pathogen and a soil saprophyte, is one of the most common causes of pneumonia in young foals. It poses a threat to the economy in endemic horse-breeding farms and to animal welfare annually. Many farms use thoracic ultrasonographic screening and antimicrobial treatment of subclinically affected foals as a preventive measure against severe R. equi infections. The wide use antimicrobials to treat subclinically affected foals has contributed to the emergence of multidrug resistant (MDR)-R. equi in both clinical isolates from sick foals a...
Mercer MA, Davis JL, McKenzie HC, Byron CR, Kelleher ME, Trager L, Cecere TE, Wilson KE, Council-Troche RM, Werre SR.Acetaminophen is used clinically in horses with musculoskeletal pain; however, no studies have been performed in horses with chronic lameness. Objective: To determine the pharmacokinetics, safety and efficacy of chronic dosing of acetaminophen in horses with naturally occurring chronic lameness. Methods: Longitudinal. Methods: Twelve adult horses with chronic lameness were treated with acetaminophen (30 mg/kg PO) every 12 h for 21 days. Plasma concentrations of acetaminophen were analysed on days 7 and 21 via LC-MS/MS and noncompartmental pharmacokinetic analysis. Lameness was evaluated ...
Saklou N, Pleasant S, Lahmers K, Funk R.Equine Herpesvirus type 1 (EHV-1) typically causes mild respiratory disease, but it can also cause late-term abortion, neonatal foal death and neurologic disease. Once a horse is infected, the virus concentrates to local lymphoid tissue, where it becomes latent. The virus can be reactivated during times of stress, which can lead to the initiation of devastating outbreaks. Understanding the carriage rate of latent EHV-1 in different geographic regions is essential for managing the disease. The objective of the current study was to estimate the prevalence of latent EHV-1 and compare the frequenc...
Jaeser M, Wunderlich C, Henle T.To study the protein-bound glycans of equine κ-casein, equine sodium caseinate was first obtained from raw mare's milk by acid precipitation and then fractionated by cation-exchange chromatography. The oligosaccharides of the obtained equine κ-casein were analyzed by RP-HPLC-UV-HRMS after β-elimination with simultaneous derivatization with 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP). In addition to the acidic tetrasaccharide derivative Neu5Ac-Gal-[Neu5Ac]-GalNAc-2PMP known from bovine κ-casein, the acidic pentasaccharide derivative Neu5Ac-Gal-[Gal-GlcNAc]-GalNAc-2PMP was identified as the most ab...
Faulkner JE, Broeckx BJG, Martens A, Raes E, Haardt H, Vanderperren K.Metal artifacts in CT negatively impact the evaluation of surgical implants and the surrounding tissues. The aim of this prospective experimental study was to evaluate the ability of a single energy metal artifact reduction (SEMAR™, Canon) algorithm and virtual monoenergetic (VM) dual-energy CT (DECT) scanning techniques to reduce metal artifacts from stainless steel screws surgically inserted into the equine proximal phalanx. Seven acquisitions of 18 cadaver limbs were performed on a Canon Aquilion One Vision CT scanner (Helical +SEMAR, Volume +SEMAR, Standard Helical, Standard Volume and V...
Melzer M, Burk J, Guest DJ, Dudhia J.Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) isolated form bone marrow and adipose tissue are the most common cells used for cell therapy of orthopedic diseases. MSC derived from different tissues show differences in terms of their proliferation, differentiation potential and viability in prolonged cell culture. This suggests that there may be subtle differences in intracellular signaling pathways that modulate these cellular characteristics. The Rho/ROCK signaling pathway is essential for many cellular functions. Targeting of this pathway by the ROCK inhibitor Y-27632 has been shown to be beneficial for c...
Lusi CM, Davies HMS.Passive dynamics is an aspect of locomotion which is entirely dependent on the mechanical configuration and linkages of adjacent body segments. Tension distribution along mechanical linkages enables the execution of movement patterns with reduced need for complex neurological pathways and may play a role in reestablishing postural stability following external disturbances. Here we demonstrate a uni-directional mechanical relationship between the equine forelimb, head and neck, which may have implications for balance and forelimb loading in the horse. These observations suggest that forelimb, h...
Santos WB, Pereira CB, Maiorano AM, Arce CDS, Baldassini WA, Pereira GL, Chardulo LAL, Neto ORM, Oliveira HN, Curi RA.With the advent of genomics, significant progress has been made in the genetic improvement of livestock species, particularly through increased accuracy in predicting breeding values for selecting superior animals and the possibility of performing a high-resolution genetic scan throughout the genome of an individual. The main objectives of this study were to estimate the individual genomic inbreeding coefficient based on runs of homozygosity (F ), to identify and characterize runs of homozygosity and heterozygosity (ROH and ROHet, respectively; length and distribution) throughout the genome, a...
Foth PW, Gardner A, Pereira CR, Cooper E, Schroeder E, Mudge MC.To assess oral buccal microcirculation by hand-held videomicroscopy in horses during colic surgery, comparing microcirculation values with macrocirculatory parameters and with those of healthy elective surgical horses. Methods: Clinical prospective study. Methods: Client-owned horses (nine in the colic group; 11 in the elective group). Methods: In the colic group, buccal mucosal side stream dark-field microscopy (DFM) videos, cardiac output (CO), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and lactate were obtained at three timepoints under general anesthesia (30, 90, and 150 min after induction). Video a...
Young N, Barker W, Minshall G, Wright I.To describe an arthroscopically guided technique for lag screw placement across subchondral bone cyst (SBC) in the medial femoral condyle (MFC) and to compare postoperative racing performance with corticosteroid injection and cyst debridement. Methods: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: One hundred twenty-three horses with 134 MFC SBCs undergoing treatment at a single referral hospital in the UK between January, 2009, and December, 2020. Methods: Sex, age, limb affected, radiographic cyst dimensions, preoperative and postoperative lameness, surgical technique (lag screw placement, cyst debr...
Kilcoyne I, Nieto J, Magdesian KG, Nottle BF.To determine the effect of a 10% dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) solution on the peak concentration (C ) of amikacin in the radiocarpal joint (RCJ) during intravenous regional limb perfusion (IVRLP) compared with 0.9% NaCl. Methods: Randomized crossover study. Methods: Seven healthy adult horses. Methods: The horses underwent IVRLP with 2 g of amikacin sulfate diluted to 60 mL using a 10% DMSO or 0.9% NaCl solution. Synovial fluid was collected from the RCJ at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 minutes after IVRLP. The wide rubber tourniquet placed on the antebrachium was removed after the 30 min sample. A...
Javanshir A, Tavassoli M, Esmaeilnejad B.Trypanosoma evansi, the causative agent of "surra" is enzootic in Iran. The current study aimed to detect T. evansi in horses from different regions of Iran using morphological, serological, and molecular methods. In 2021, 400 blood samples were collected from horses in eight regions. Eighty horses showed clinical signs such as cachexia (n = 64), fever (n = 36), foot edema (n = 40), and abdominal edema (n = 32), and 320 horses appeared healthy. All samples from the studied regions were evaluated for the presence of trypanosomes using direct analysis of blood smears, mercuric chloride, and PCR-...
Pál Z, Bodó G.Allograft arthroplasty is a promising cartilage-resurfacing technique. A 14-year-old horse was diagnosed with a medial femoral condyle subchondral bone cyst. Allografts were harvested from a young donor animal and implanted to fill the cyst cavity. A visual assessment of the surgical site was possible during follow-up arthroscopy. In addition to a desirable gliding surface and a good adaptation of the grafts, fibrillation of the cranial ligament of the medial meniscus was noted and debrided. The recipient horse became sound four months after follow-up surgery with a high level of owner satisfa...
Ferlini Agne G, Somogyi AA, Sykes B, Knych H, Franklin S.In humans, omeprazole is metabolised by cytochrome P450 (CYP450) CYP2C19 and CYP3A4 with differences in CYP2C19 genotypes leading to variable response to therapy. Despite a wide use of omeprazole in horses with evidence of variable therapeutic efficiency, information regarding enzymatic metabolism is not currently available. This study aims to describe the in vitro kinetics of omeprazole metabolism and determine which enzyme(s) are responsible for omeprazole metabolism in horses. Omeprazole (0-800 uM) was incubated with liver microsomes and a panel of equine recombinant CYP450s (eq-rCYP). Meta...
Aqeel I, Khormi IM, Khan SB, Shuaib M, Almusharraf A, Alam S, Alkhaldi NA.The emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) and its subsequent evolution into the Internet of Everything (IoE) is a result of the rapid growth of information and communication technologies (ICT). However, implementing these technologies comes with certain obstacles, such as the limited availability of energy resources and processing power. Consequently, there is a need for energy-efficient and intelligent load-balancing models, particularly in healthcare, where real-time applications generate large volumes of data. This paper proposes a novel, energy-aware artificial intelligence (AI)-based ...
Lee DH, Lee EB, Seo JP, Ko EJ.Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists have been used as adjuvants to modulate immune responses in both animals and humans. Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the combined effects of the TLR 4 agonist monophosphoryl lipid A (MPL) and the TLR 3 agonist polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (Poly I:C) on equine peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs), and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (BM-MSCs). Methods: The PBMCs, MoDCs, and BM-MSCs collected from three mixed breed horses were treated with MPL, Poly I:C, and their combination...
Morris ERA, Schroeder ME, Ferro PJ, Waller AS, McGlennon AA, Bustos CP, Gressler LT, Wu J, Lawhon SD, Boyle AG, Lingsweiler S, Paul N, Dimitrov K....Strangles is a contagious bacterial disease of horses caused by Streptococcus equi subspecies equi (SEE) that occurs globally. Rapid and accurate identification of infected horses is essential for controlling strangles. Because of limitations of existing PCR assays for SEE, we sought to identify novel primers and probes that enable simultaneous detection and differentiation of infection with SEE and S. equi subsp. zooepidemicus (SEZ). Comparative genomics of U.S. strains of SEE and SEZ (n = 50 each) identified SE00768 from SEE and comB from SEZ as target genes. Primers and probes for real-ti...
Aoki T, Shibata M, Violin G, Higaki S, Yoshioka K.It is desirable to attend to the mare at the time of foaling in order to assist fetal delivery and prevent complications. The early detection of the onset of labor is an important issue for the equine industry. The purpose of this study was to examine the applicability of a sensor for foaling detection using the data of surface temperature (ST), roll angle (rotation about the y-axis) and y-axis (long axis of the tail) acceleration which were collected from a multimodal device attached to the ventral tail base of the mare. The data were collected every 3 minutes in 17 pregnant mares. Roll angle...
Faccin M, Wiener DJ, Rech RR, Santoro D, Rodrigues Hoffmann A.The skin covers the external surface of animals, and it is constantly exposed to and inhabited by different microorganisms, including bacteria. Alterations in the skin barrier allow commensal and/or pathogenic bacteria to proliferate and penetrate deep into the lower layers of the skin. Being the first barrier to the external environment, the skin is prone to injuries, allowing the penetration of microorganisms that may lead to severe deep infections. Companion animals, especially dogs, are prone to bacterial infections, often secondary to allergic dermatitis. When environmental conditions are...
Bull K, Davies G, Jenkins TP, Peachey L.Horses can suffer from gastrointestinal (GI) disease in domestic environments, often precipitated by human-led changes in management. Understanding the consequences of these changes on equine gut microbiota is key to the prevention of such disease episodes. Objective: Profile the faecal microbiota of adult female Exmoor ponies under three management conditions, representing increasing levels of management by humans, encompassing different diets; whilst controlling for age, breed and sex. Methods: Cross-sectional descriptive. Methods: Faecal samples were collected from three populations of Exmo...
Equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) is a neurological disease caused by Sarcocystis neurona. Immunofluorescence antibody tests (IFATs) have been widely used to identify exposure of horses to S. neurona in Brazil. Here we used IFAT to search for IgG antibodies against Sarcocystis falcatula-like (Dal-CG23) and S. neurona (SN138) in sera from 342 horses sampled in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul state (Midwestern), and São Paulo, São Paulo state (Southeastern), Brazil. The 1:25 cutoff value was chosen to maximize sensitivity of the test. IgG antibodies against S. neurona were detected in ...
Lane JG, Bladon B, Little DR, Naylor JR, Franklin SH.To review the prevalence of single and complex forms of dynamic airway obstructions within a large group of Thoroughbred horses in training referred for investigation of poor performance. Methods: Video-endoscopic recordings of the upper respiratory tract made during a standardised treadmill exercise test of 600 Thoroughbred racehorses were reviewed and analysed in real time and slow motion to identify dynamic collapse by the tissues bordering onto the pharyngeal and laryngeal airways. Results: Dynamic collapse within the nasopharynx or larynx was confirmed in 471 of the 600 horses. Dorsal dis...
Smith JE, Mohandas N, Shohet SB.Deformability is an important aspect of erythrocyte physiology and has been extensively studied using human red cells. We have studied erythrocytes from 25 different animals using a viscometric technique. Erythrocyte diameters ranged from 3.3 microns in the goat to 11.4 microns for the elephant seal. Erythrocytes from most species deformed readily when a fluid shear stress was applied. A deformability index of the stressed cell defined as (length - width)/(length + width) correlated with cell size. The erythrocytes of four animals (pygmy goat, goat, Batanga horse, and miniature horse) deformed...
Eaton BT, Broder CC, Wang LF.Within the past decade a number of new zoonotic paramyxoviruses emerged from flying foxes to cause serious disease outbreaks in man and livestock. Hendra virus was the cause of fatal infections of horses and man in Australia in 1994, 1999 and 2004. Nipah virus caused encephalitis in humans both in Malaysia in 1998/99, following silent spread of the virus in the pig population, and in Bangladesh from 2001 to 2004 probably as a result of direct bat to human transmission and spread within the human population. Hendra and Nipah viruses are highly pathogenic in humans with case fatality rates of 40...
Suganuma K, Narantsatsral S, Battur B, Yamasaki S, Otgonsuren D, Musinguzi SP, Davaasuren B, Battsetseg B, Inoue N.Trypanosoma equiperdum causes dourine via sexual transmission in Equidae. T. equiperdum is classified under the subgenus Trypanozoon along with the T. brucei sspp. and T. evansi; however, the species classification of Trypanozoon remains a controversial topic due to the limited number of T. equiperdum reference strains. In addition, it is possible that some were misclassified T. evansi strains. Thus, there is a strong need for a new T. equiperdum strain directly isolated from the genital mucosa of a horse with a clinically- and parasitologically-confirmed dourine infection. Trypanosomes isolat...
Phillips TJ, Walmsley JP.Of 149 horses that underwent 151 exploratory laparotomies for gastrointestinal disorders from September 1987 to May 1991, 107 (72%) were discharged from the hospital: 100 (66%) survived for > 7 months, 94 of which returned to their intended use. Survival rate (64/80) for horses with caecum/large colon obstruction was significantly (P = 0.003) higher than for horses with small intestinal obstruction (33/64). Prolonged surgery was associated with significantly (P < 0.001) lower survival rates than short surgical time. In the large intestine, survival rate (15/29) for strangulated obstructions wa...
Hanafy RA, Lanjekar VB, Dhakephalkar PK, Callaghan TM, Dagar SS, Griffith GW, Elshahed MS, Youssef NH.We isolated and characterized 65 anaerobic gut fungal (AGF; Neocallimastigomycota) strains from fecal samples of five wild (W, axis deer, white-tailed deer, Boer goat, mouflon, and Nilgiri tahr), one zoo-housed (Z, zebra), and three domesticated (D, horse, sheep, and goat) herbivores in the US states of Texas (TX) and Oklahoma (OK), Wales (WA), and the Indian states of Kerala (KE) and Haryana (HA). Phylogenetic assessment using the D1-D2 regions of the large subunit (28S) rDNA and internal transcribed spacer 1 (ITS1) identified seven monophyletic clades that are distinct from all curren...
Pérez MD, Calvo M.beta-Lactoglobulin is the major whey protein in the milk of ruminants and some nonruminants, such as pigs and horses. Although beta-lactoglobulin was first isolated 60 yr ago, no function has been definitely ascribed to beta-lactoglobulin. Recent x-ray crystallographic studies have advanced knowledge of the structure of beta-lactoglobulin, which is homologous with that of retinol-binding protein and lipocalycins; the function of these proteins seems to be participation in the transport of small hydrophobic substances. By analogy, this protein has been suggested as having a role as a transporte...
Bell C, Rogers S, Taylor J, Busby D.A key welfare problem for horses is that people commonly fail to recognise, and consequently neglect to resolve, equine behavioural signs of distress, worsening the welfare of the horse and potentially putting the safety of the handler at risk as a result. Members of equestrian Facebook groups were asked to view six videos and assess the horse's behaviour in each; the authors selected the videos and considered each video to demonstrate behaviour associated with negative affective states. An additional six equine behaviourists also completed the survey as an "expert comparison group" from whom ...
Dunowska M, Morley PS, Traub-Dargatz JL, Hyatt DR, Dargatz DA.Objective-To evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility of commensal Escherichia coli strains isolated from the feces of horses and investigate relationships with hospitalization and antimicrobial drug (AMD) administration. Design-Observational study. Animals-68 hospitalized horses that had been treated with AMDs for at least 3 days (HOSP-AMD group), 63 hospitalized horses that had not received AMDs for at least 4 days (HOSP-NOAMD group), and 85 healthy horses that had not been hospitalized or treated with AMDs (community group). Procedures-Fecal samples were submitted for bacterial culture, and up...
Ryan D, McKemie DS, Kass PH, Puschner B, Knych HK.The increasing availability of cannabidiol (CBD) and anecdotal reports of its anti-inflammatory effects has garnered it much interest in the equine industry. The objectives of the current study were to (1) describe the pharmacokinetics of oral CBD in exercising thoroughbreds, (2) characterize select behavioral and physiologic effects, and (3) evaluate effects on biomarkers of inflammation using an ex vivo model. This study was conducted in a randomized balanced 3-way crossover design with a two-week washout period between doses. Horses received a single oral dose (0.5, 1, and 2 mg/kg) of CBD...
Björnsdóttir S, Sigvaldadóttir J, Broström H, Langvad B, Sigurdsson A.A cross sectional study was designed to estimate the prevalence of summer eczema (a chronic, recurrent seasonal dermatitis) in exported Icelandic horses and the influence of environmental and genetic factors on the development of the disease. Among 330 horses, which had been exported to Germany, Denmark and Sweden, 114 (34.5%) were found to have clinical signs of summer eczema. The prevalence was highest 2 years after export and the exposure to the biting midges Culicoides spp., was found to be the main risk factor for developing the disease. Genetic influence on the sensitivity for the diseas...
Venner M, Astheimer K, Lämmer M, Giguère S.Mass antimicrobial treatment of foals with small subclinical ultrasonographic pulmonary lesions is empirical practice on many farms with endemic disease caused by Rhodococcus equi. Objective: Mass antimicrobial treatment of foals with subclinical ultrasonographic pulmonary lesions is unnecessary. Methods: One hundred and eight foals on a farm endemic for infections caused by R. equi. Methods: Controlled, randomized, and double-blinded prospective study. Foals with ultrasonographic evidence of pulmonary abscesses 5.0-10 cm in diameter (n = 108) were randomly allocated in 5 treatment groups: (1)...
Donnell JR, Frisbie DD, King MR, Goodrich LR, Haussler KK.When mild lameness exists, agreement between clinicians is often controversial due to its subjective nature. The goal of the study was to compare subjective and objective methods to identify the presence of mild lameness using an established model of osteoarthritis (OA) in which OA was induced by creating a unilateral carpal osteochondral fragment (OCF) in the middle carpal joint of 16 horses. Subjective lameness evaluations (blinded and unblinded), force platforms (FP), and an inertial-sensor system (ISS) were used to detect forelimb lameness at four time points. Limbs identified as lame by e...
Halliwell RE, McGorum BC, Irving P, Dixon PM.An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to quantify isotype-specific antibody to Micropolyspora faeni and to Aspergillus fumigatus in the sera and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) of normal horses, horses with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and horses with other chronic respiratory diseases. Elevated antibody levels were not detected in the sera of affected horses. However, both IgE and IgA antibody to both allergens was significantly elevated in BALF in COPD affected horses sampled both when symptomatic and asymptomatic. Elevated levels were also found in animal...
MacLachlan NJ, Balasuriya UB, Hedges JF, Schweidler TM, McCollum WH, Timoney PJ, Hullinger PJ, Patton JF.Equine arteritis virus (EAV) is the causative agent of equine viral arteritis, an apparently emerging disease of equids. In this study, the antibody response of horses to the structural proteins of EAV was evaluated using gradient-purified EAV virions and baculovirus-expressed recombinant EAV structural proteins (G(L), G(S), M, N) as antigens in a Western immunoblotting assay. Thirty-three sera from horses that previously had been naturally or experimentally infected with EAV were evaluated, including samples from mares, geldings, and both persistently and nonpersistently infected stallions. S...
Hooper PT, Ketterer PJ, Hyatt AD, Russell GM.Laboratory examinations of equine morbillivirus included experimental reproductions of the disease caused by the virus by transmission of mixed lung and spleen taken from two field equine cases into two horses and by inoculating tissue culture virus into a further two horses. The most distinctive gross lesions of the diseases that developed in three of the horses was that of pulmonary edema characterized by gelatinous distension of subpleural lymphatics. Histologically, the lesions in the lungs were those of serofibrinous alveolar edema, alveolar macrophages, hemorrhage, thrombosis of capillar...
Nasir L, Reid SW.The sarcoid is a benign locally invasive dermal fibroblastic lesion, commonly affecting horses and donkeys. The aetiology of the equine sarcoid is equivocal. Bovine papillomaviral (BPV) DNA (type 1/2) is frequently demonstrable in equine sarcoid tumour biopsies. However, the exact role of the virus in the disease process and its contribution to the phenotypic differences in sarcoids is not known. It was sought to assess the transcriptional activity of BPV-1 found in sarcoid tissues. Of 20 tumours examined, 18 were positive for E2 expression and ten positive for L1 expression. Viral oncogenes E...
Buhl R, Ersbøll AK, Eriksen L, Koch J.To evaluate changes over time in echocardiographic measurements in young Standardbred racehorses undergoing training and racing and determine whether there was any relationship between cardiac dimensions and racing performance. Methods: Longitudinal observational study. Methods: 103 horses. Methods: 2-dimensional and M-mode echocardiography was performed 4 times at 6-month intervals. Results: Significant cardiac enlargement took place during the study period as indicated by increases in left ventricular internal diameter in diastole (LVIDd), estimated left ventricular muscle mass (LV mass), an...
Watts AE, Nixon AJ, Yeager AE, Mohammed HO.A consistent and clinically relevant model for the induction of core lesions confined to the mid-metacarpal superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) has not been previously reported. Injection of bacterial collagenase is commonly used but often results in large, irregular and inconsistent lesions that disrupt the superficial tendon layers and epitenon. Objective: To develop and evaluate a new injection technique for collagenase induction of SDFT injury. Methods: Collagenase gel was injected into a physical columnar defect created by longitudinally placing a curved 16 gauge 8.89 cm needle in ...
Attoui H, Mohd Jaafar F.Many novel emerging orbiviruses have been isolated in the past 15 years. Important viruses include Peruvian horse sickness virus (PHSV) and Yunnan orbivirus (YUOV), pathogens of equids which were originally isolated almost simultaneously from 1997 to 1999 in the People's Republic of China, Australia and Peru. YUOV has also been isolated from cattle, sheep and a dog. The isolation of YUOVfrom a dog is not the first case of an orbivirus being isolated from a carnivore. Bluetongue virus and African horse sickness virus were earlier detected in carnivores which fed on contaminated meat. PHSV and Y...
Akerreta S, Calvo MI, Cavero RY.To collect, analyze and evaluate the ethnoveterinary knowledge about medicinal plants in a northern Iberian region (Navarra, 10,421 km(2), 620,377 inhabitants). Methods: Field work was conducted between 2003 and 2007, using semi-structured questionnaire and participant observation as well as transects walks in wild herbal plant collection areas. We performed semi-structured interviews with 667 informants (mean age 72; 55.47% women, 44.53% men) in 265 locations, identified the plant reported and analyzed the results, comparing them with those from other territories. Results: Out of 287 species ...
Richardson JS, Parrera GS, Astacio H, Sahota H, Anderson DM, Hall C, Babinchak T.Botulism is a rare, life-threatening paralytic illness. Botulism Antitoxin Heptavalent (A,B,C,D,E,F,G)-(Equine) (BAT) manufactured by Emergent BioSolutions Canada Inc is an equine-derived heptavalent botulinum antitoxin product indicated for the treatment of symptomatic botulism following documented or suspected exposure to botulinum neurotoxin serotypes A-G in adults and pediatric patients. BAT product was US-licensed in 2013. In the United States, from October 2014 through July 2017, safety and clinical outcomes data were collected under a registry for patients treated with BAT product. Regi...
Guyton K, Houchen-Wise E, Peck E, Mayberry J.Horse-related injury can be severe and disabling. We investigated the causes, severity, and costs of equestrian injury with the goal of injury prevention. A retrospective review of horse-related injuries from 2001 to 2008 identified 231 patients with a mean age of 38 years and a mean Injury Severity Score of 11 (range, 1 to 45). Mean length of stay was 5.5 days. Fifty-nine patients (25%) required 84 surgeries. Helmet use was 20 per cent and of the 172 patients not wearing a helmet while mounted, 38 per cent received potentially preventable head injuries. There were three deaths of which two we...
Deeg CA, Ehrenhofer M, Thurau SR, Reese S, Wildner G, Kaspers B.Equine recurrent uveitis (ERU) is the most serious eye disease in horses worldwide. Despite the fact that ERU is generally considered to be immune mediated, a detailed description of the histopathology of the posterior part of ERU eyes is lacking. Here, we examined sections of paraffin-embedded eyes using histological and immunhistological methods. Twenty seven eyes of 20 horses with ERU and 30 eyes of 15 healthy control horses were included in this study. We could consistently demonstrate an involvement of the retina and the choroid in all examined eyes of horses with spontaneous ERU. In eyes...
Wilson WD.Myeloencephalopathy is an uncommon manifestation of equine herpesvirus 1 (EHV-1), but it can cause devastating losses during outbreaks on individual farms. Clinical signs of neurologic disease reflect a diffuse multifocal hemorrhagic myeloencephalopathy secondary to vasculitis and thrombosis. Sudden onset and early stabilization of signs, including ataxia, paresis, and urinary incontinence; involvement of multiple horses on the premises; and recent history of fever, abortion, or viral respiratory disease in the affected horse or herdmates are typical features, although there is considerable va...
van Loon JP, de Grauw JC, van Dierendonck M, L'ami JJ, Back W, van Weeren PR.Intra-articular administration of morphine as a local analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug is widely used in human medicine. In equids, little is known about its clinical analgesic and anti-inflammatory efficacy. Objective: To use an inflammatory orthopaedic pain model to investigate the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects of intra-articularly administered morphine as a new treatment modality in horses with acute arthritis. Methods: In a crossover study design, synovitis was induced in the left or right talocrural joint by means of intra-articular injection of 0.5 ng lipopolyssacharide (LP...
Rikihisa Y, Pretzman CI, Johnson GC, Reed SM, Yamamoto S, Andrews F.Ehrlichia risticii has a close antigenic relationship to E. sennetsu. Sera of ponies experimentally infected with E. risticii, the etiologic agent of Potomac horse fever, consistently reacted with E. sennetsu, a human pathogen, in indirect fluorescent-antibody (IFA) testing, while human E. sennetsu convalescent serum reacted with E. risticii by IFA testing and immunoferritin labeling of cells infected in vitro. Two ponies injected intravenously with live E. sennetsu did no develop clinical illness. Subsequent injection with live E. sennetsu did not develop clinical illness. Subsequent injectio...
González-Fernández L, Ortega-Ferrusola C, Macias-Garcia B, Salido GM, Peña FJ, Tapia JA.Protein tyrosine kinases have important roles in spermatozoa; however, little is known about the presence and regulation in these cells of their counterparts in signaling, namely, protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) and dual-specificity phosphatases (DSPs). The objectives of the present study were to identify PTPs and DSPs in boar, stallion, and dog spermatozoa; to characterize their subcellular distribution; and to investigate the roles of tyrosine phosphatases in maintenance of protein tyrosine phosphorylation level and in sperm motility. Using Western blotting with specific antibodies in b...
Müller J, Feige K, Wunderlin P, Hödl A, Meli ML, Seltenhammer M, Grest P, Nicolson L, Schelling C, Heinzerling LM.Melanoma is a disease with high incidence in gray horses and has limited therapeutic options in metastatic disease. Gene therapy has shown some success in animal models and human patients. A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted to investigate 2 treatment options using cytokine-encoding plasmid DNA in horses with metastatic melanoma to induce immunologic antitumor effects. Adult gray horses with spontaneously occurring metastatic melanoma (n=26) were included in the study. Treatment of 26 gray horses with metastatic melanoma consisted of interleukin-18-encoding plasmi...
